Doda River

Doda River
Stod River
Stod River near Padum
Map
Location
CountryIndia
Union TerritoryLadakh
DistrictKargil
Physical characteristics
Source33°47′40″N 76°20′22″E / 33.794578°N 76.339341°E / 33.794578; 76.339341
 • locationDrang-Drung Glacier at Pensi La
 • elevation4,560 m (14,960 ft)
Mouth33°30′57″N 76°56′02″E / 33.515855°N 76.933805°E / 33.515855; 76.933805
 • location
Tsarap River together forms Zanskar River at Padum, Zanskar
 • elevation
3,485 m (11,434 ft)
Length79 km (49 mi)
Discharge 
 • average206 m3/s (7,300 cu ft/s)
Basin features
Tributaries 
 • rightTsarap River

The Doda River or the Stod River[1] is a river 79 kilometres (49 mi) long, which forms the Stod Valley in the Zanskar valley[2][3] of the Leh district in the Union Territory of Ladakh in India.[4]

Geography

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The Doda River rises from the Drang-Drung Glacier near Pensi La, a mountain pass off the Zanskar-Kargil road.[4][5] The Drang-Drung Glacier is a river of ice and snow by itself and is the largest glacier other than the Siachen Glacier in Ladakh outside the Karakoram Range.[6] It gives rise to a mountain peak named Doda Peak, 21,490 ft (6,550 metres) high,[7] and gives its name to the Doda district, which lies in the rear of the glacier. The Doda River is also known as Stod River. After rising from its source, the Doda River flows southeast along the Kargil — Zanskar road in the main Zanskar valley, through the towns of Akshu, Abran, Kushol and Phey. The river then meets the Tsarap River at a confluence near Padum, the capital of Zanskar. Together, these two rivers form the Zanskar River, a tributary of the Indus River.[8]

The river at Kursha Monastery

The Doda River contributes to the minimal agricultural production of the Zanskar valley by providing irrigation to the fields of barley, wheat, buckwheat and peas.[9] Accessible in the summer, the Pensi La mountain pass at the source of the river receives heavy snowfall along with the other pass, Zojila, which cuts off the Stod Valley from the rest of the country during the winter season when the river freezes. The river source at Pensi La lies 350 kilometres (220 mi) east from the Srinagar, the capital of Jammu and Kashmir.[6] The Doda River is famous for adventure sports. Rafting events are organised along the length of the Doda and the Zanskar.[10]

References

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  1. ^ Hashmat Singh; Pallav Das; Jai Kumar Sharma (2002). Trekking in the Himalayas. Roli Books, 2002. p. 147. ISBN 978-81-7436-106-6. Retrieved 17 August 2012 – via Google Books.
  2. ^ "Zanskar Tour". Tourism in Jammu Kashmir. Archived from the original on 24 July 2012. Retrieved 17 August 2012.
  3. ^ Robert W. Bradnock; Roma Bradnock (2004). Footprint India. Footprint. p. 532. ISBN 978-1-904777-00-7. Retrieved 17 August 2012 – via Google Books.
  4. ^ a b Janet Rizvi (1996). Ladakh: crossroads of high Asia. Oxford University Press. p. 30. ISBN 978-0-19-564016-8. Retrieved 17 August 2012 – via Google Books.
  5. ^ Kim Gutschow (2004). Being a Buddhist Nun: The Struggle for Enlightenment in the Himalayas. Harvard University Press. p. 40. ISBN 978-0-674-01287-5. Retrieved 17 August 2012 – via Google Books.
  6. ^ a b Jasbir Singh (2004). The Economy of Jammu & Kashmir. Radha Krishan Anand & Co. p. 223. ISBN 978-81-88256-09-9. Retrieved 17 August 2012 – via Google Books.
  7. ^ "Expeditions and notes". The Himalayan Club. Archived from the original on 24 March 2016. Retrieved 17 August 2012.
  8. ^ Aitken, Bill (2004). Touching Upon the Himalaya: Excursions and Enquiries. New Delhi: Indus Publishing Company. p. 80. ISBN 81-7387-169-8.
  9. ^ Henry Osmaston; Nawang Tsering (1997). Recent Research on Ladakh 6: Proceedings of the Sixth International Colloquium on Ladakh, Leh 1993. Motilal Banarsidass Publ. p. 106. ISBN 978-81-208-1432-5. Retrieved 17 August 2012 – via Google Books.
  10. ^ Pippa de Bruyn; Niloufer Venkatraman; Keith Bain (2006). Frommer's India. Frommer's Complete Guides. Vol. 187. John Wiley & Sons. p. 500. ISBN 978-0-471-79434-9. Retrieved 17 August 2012 – via Google Books.
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